May 31, 2011
West Indian-Style Channa Wrap
Aromatic spices give this dish its savory punch
-
Myra Kohn
Serves 8 or more
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
½ chili pepper of choice, seeded and diced
1 (2-by-1 inch) hunk fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 ½ to 3 tablespoons curry powder* (preferably Madras-style)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed thoroughly
1 (17.5-ounce) package 8- or 10-inch whole wheat tortillas
Optional add-ons: Your favorite hot sauce; red onion, sliced thinly; cucumber, diced
1. In a deep skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until slightly softened, about 8 minutes.
2. Add garlic, chili pepper, and ginger, and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Add spices and salt, and stir well. You’ll end up with a paste.
4. Add chickpeas, plus enough water to barely cover them (at least 3 cups). Bring to a lively simmer, then lower the heat and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates (50 to 60 minutes). You’re looking for very soft chickpeas with a thick gravy, not soup.
5. Taste for salt and season accordingly.
6. Place a few tablespoons of channa inside a warmed tortilla with any or all of the optional add-ons. (The channa is also great served over rice.)
*On a spicy scale, the original recipe calling for 3 tablespoons of curry is 4 stars out of 5. Especially if you use Madras-style curry, HSUS testers recommend following O’Donnel’s suggestion for toning down the heat by using only 1 tablespoon of curry powder; she also suggests eliminating the cayenne if desired.
Nutrition
All figures are per serving (assumes eight servings).
Protein: 10 grams
Calories: 312
Fat: 8 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Carbs: 5 grams
From The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook by Kim O’Donnel. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. ©2010.
